Another sessionably light-hopped ale from Chi-town brewers. Moderate white-peppered floral fruiting contrasts doughy biscuit malts and French breaded croissant notions. Lemon-bruised ruby red grapefruit tang picks up tart apricot, pear and tangerine sweetness in the midst.
All posts by John Fortunato
ALE SYNDICATE SUNDAY SESSION HOPPED-UP ALE
Sessionably lightweight ‘hopped-up ale’ stays crisp and clean as initial floral citrus waft, lilting lemon-lime tartness and meager grapefruit zesting fizzle out by mild grassy-hopped midst. Not as hop-induced as advertised, but quite refreshing.
URBAN LEGEND MUGSHOT BROWN RYE PORTER
Creamy dark-roasted chocolate malting ascends above oily coffee respite and light hop-charred bittering, losing initial stimulus to carbolic fluff. Mild rye toasting affects subsidiary coffee, cocoa and caramel latte illusions to the oak-smoked earthen bottom.
TWO BROTHERS SIDEKICK EXTRA PALE ALE
Fine canned pale ale layers lemony passionfruit tartness above zesty citric follow-thru, dry floral herbage, grassy hop freshness and light pale malting. Tangy yellow grapefruit, pineapple, mango, guava and clementine illusions provide nice backdrop.
METROPOLITAN ARC WELDER DUNKEL RYE
Smooth dunkelweizen maintains relaxed feel as dainty dried fruited pleasantries seep into nutty caramel malting. Polite raisin and fig tones soak up ancillary chocolate-vanilla sweetness. Toasted rye-pumpernickel spine scatters tertiary roasted tobacco, light-roast coffee and cocoa niceties.
METROPOLITAN KRANK SHAFT KOLSCH
Sessionable pale-strawed dry body brings sour lemon-candied perk to sugary caramel sweetness, delicate lemony grapefruit tartness and soft grassy-hopped wheat base. Mild pilsner malting picks up light salted bittering.
METROPOLITAN DYNAMO COPPER LAGER
Lamely directionless moderation lacks decent toasted Vienna malt presence, proper navel orange tartness and necessary hop bittering. Instead, dirty earthen mineral graining scruffs up musty lemongrass nothingness.
METROPOLITAN FLYWHEEL BRIGHT LAGER
Summery lightweight lager places brisk lemon spritz above mild citric-spiced Noble hop bittering and bready pale malt spine. Herbal-candied honeyed lemon licks groove alongside sugared lemon meringue tartness, soured lemon pit bittering and dry cracked corn ‘maize’ along the way. A sunny day pleasure.
FLAT 12 BIERWERKS WALKABOUT PALE ALE
Explosive carbolic thrust withstanding, stylistically robust Australian pale ale utilizes peachy passionfruit-like Galaxy hops to inform the peppery floral spicing and drape the light caramel malting. Lemon-peeled grapefruit zest freshens the bittersweet passionfruit tartness. Resinous pine and fresh-cut grass waft thru the tropical-fruited frontage as well as the candi-sugared mango, pineapple, papaya, guava, tangerine, nectar and lychee undertones.
TRITON FIELDHOUSE WHEAT
Tiresome lemon pulp souring receives soft yellow-wooded Amarillo hop bittering over skunked vegetal herbage. Raw-honeyed ginger and ginseng notions never fully integrate and doughy malts pick up gluey paper residue. Befuddled citric sourness belies surprisingly clean finish.
BARLEY ISLAND BARFLY TAVERN-STYLE IPA
Easygoing, toned down version of popular India Pale Ale varietal. Subtle grapefruit, pineapple and orange tang nearly upended by dry-hopped toasted rye breading. Docile date and fig dried fruiting drifts into light vegetal niche before brisk floral citrus finish pushes it aside.
HOFBRAUHAUS TRAUNSTIEN 1612ER ZWICKELBIER
Effervescent Bavarian-styled moderation brings soft-toned citric-candied acidity to raw-honeyed lemon rot souring and brisk mineral watered crisping. Gentle grassy hop dryness and mild coriander spicing caress yellow-fruited simplicity.
